Choosing Which Ace to Call
Strategic partner selection can make or break your hand
The Rules of Calling
- •You can only call Clubs, Spades, or Hearts (not Diamonds - it's trump!)
- •You cannot call an Ace you hold
- •You must have at least one card in the called suit (your "hold card")
- •When the called suit is first led, you must play your hold card and partner must play the Ace
Priority Order for Calling
Call Your Shortest Suit (a Singleton is Ideal)
The standard rule requires you to hold a card of the suit you call. So call a suit where you have just one card: lead that card early to pull your partner's Ace out, and now you're void and can trump the rest of the hand. Best of both worlds.
Call Where You Have the Ten
Having the Ten in your called suit is powerful. When the Ace comes out, you can schmear 10 points to your partner's 11-point Ace. That's 21 points in one trick!
Avoid Suits You're Long In
If you have 3+ cards in a suit, calling it means you'll be stuck following that suit multiple times — and the Ace can get trapped behind your own cards. Less flexibility, fewer trump opportunities.
Variation: "Call Under" (a Void Suit)
Some groups play an optional Call Under rule that lets you call a suit you have no cards in — you place a card face-down as the "under," revealed when that suit is led. It's off by default; turn it on in table settings if your group plays that way. Under the standard rule, a void suit is not callable.
Example Hands
Example 1: Singleton Call
Your hand: Q♣ Q♠ J♥ A♦ 10♦ | A♣ K♣ | 7♥
You hold the A♣ (can't call Clubs — you'd be your own partner) and you're void in Spades (can't call it under the standard rule). But you have a single Heart, the 7♥.
→ Call Hearts! Lead the 7♥ to pull your partner's A♥ out — then you're void in Hearts and can trump.
Example 2: Ten Opportunity
Your hand: Q♦ J♣ J♠ 9♦ 8♦ | 10♠ 9♠ | A♥
You have A♥ (can't call Hearts) but have 10♠ and low spade. No Clubs.
→ Call Spades! You can schmear the Ten when partner plays A♠.
Example 3: No Legal Call → Go Alone
Your hand: Q♥ Q♦ J♦ K♦ | A♣ 10♣ | A♠ 7♠
You hold both black Aces (can't call Clubs or Spades — you'd be your own partner), and you're void in Hearts, so you can't call Hearts under the standard rule either.
→ You have no legal call, so you go alone (1 vs 4). (If your table has "Call Under" enabled, you could instead call A♥ with a face-down under card. And note: if you held all three fail Aces, you could "call a 10" instead.)
When to Go Alone
Instead of calling a partner, you can go alone (1 vs 4) for bigger rewards. Consider it when:
- •You have all 4 Queens or 3+ Queens with good Jacks
- •You hold multiple fail Aces (they become your points)
- •You have 8+ trump including high ones
- •No suit works well for calling (you have all the Aces or are long everywhere)
⚠️ Going alone is high risk, high reward. You double your winnings but also double your losses!
Common Calling Mistakes
❌ Burying Your Only Card in Called Suit
Classic beginner mistake! If you call Hearts, don't bury your only Heart. You MUST have a hold card.
❌ Calling Your Longest Suit
If you have 4 Clubs, calling Clubs means following suit 4 times. That's 4 tricks where you can't trump!
❌ Ignoring the Ten Schmear
Having the Ten is almost as good as a singleton. Don't overlook Ace-Ten combos!
Quick Reference
| Your Hand | Best Call |
|---|---|
| Single low card (no Ace) | That suit - lead it, then trump! |
| Have Ten + low card | That suit - schmear 21 pts! |
| Two low cards (no Ace) | That suit - void after 2 leads |
| 3+ cards, no Ten | Avoid if possible |
| Have all 3 fail Aces | Consider going alone! |